Elevator brake



Jan. 30, 1923.

2 SHEETS-SHEET K N. W. GUDMUNDSQN.

ELEVATOR BRAKE FILED Aus. I 1921 avwewto' c @Q ZZA QZQGWZZ Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,841

N. W. GUDMUNDSON.

ELEVATOR BRAKE FILED AUG. 1 I921 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I QUE-m 5 avwawtoz Patented Jan. 39, 1923.

ELEVATOR BRAKE.

Applicationfiled August 1; 1921. Serial no. 488,929.

To all whom it may co rtcern:

Be 'itknown that'I, NinLs lVAsrmUs GUD- )IUNDSON, a citizenof'the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of'Utah, liaveinven'ted certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Brakes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the'same.

My invention relates to improvementsin elevator brakes and has for its principal ob ject to provide a-comparatively simple and inexpensive,'yet a highly eflicient'andreliable brake operated by spring-p'ressure'to hold'theelevator against movement whenever desired, electrical means being preferably employed for holding the brake shoes in inactive position, againsttlie action of their operating spring ors'prings.

WVith the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in vertical section, showing the application of my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal vertical view as indicated by the irregular line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view as indicated by line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4c is an enlarged vertical section on line 44; of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the switch employed for controlling the brake-releasing means.

In the drawings above briefiy'described, the numeral 1 designates a conventional form of elevator having the usual vertical guide tracks 2. A horizontally elongated metal frame 3 is suitably secured beneath the elevator floor, said frame including upper and lower horizontal end plates 4 and 5 and vertical bars 6 which extend between and are secured to said plates. Riveted or other wise rigidly secured to each of the bars 6, is

a brake shoe 7 from which a bolt 8 extends laterally. A movable brake shoe 9 is a slidably mounted on each bolt 8 and the outer face of each shoe 9 is formed with a noncircular shallow recess 10 which opens through its'inner edge. Each recess 10 receives the enlarged outer end 11 of a horizontal lever 12, each of the lever ends 11 being provided with a bolt receiving opening 'erated by as shown clearly in Fig. 4. Bearing against the outer sideof each of'the lever ends 11 1s a coiled spring 13 which surrounds the bolt;8, the outer-"end of the spring being positioned-in contactwith a washer-1a which is'held upon the bolt-by a-nut 15 anda jamb-nut 16, whereby the strength ofthe spring may be varied as desired.

The levers 12 are preferably supported by vertical shafts '17 which extend between and are secured-to the plates t and 5, said shafts being spaced from the bars 6' as indicated clearlyin Figs. 1 and-2. The'inner ends of the levers 12 are suitably connected with the core 18 of a solenoid 19-having a suitable controlling switch which is preferably opfoot- The solenoid is used to-no-rmally hold the brake shoes from contact=- with the tracks 2 and the moment the our rent-is cut'ofi'fro'm' said solenoid; the springs 13' move said shoes into binding frictional contact with the tracks to lock the elevator againstdescent, said shoes being preferably. provided on theirinn'er 'sides with fiber or other friction'blocks 20.

To prevent the springs 13 from acting too suddenly upon the brake shoes and thereby bringing the elevator to a stop with a jerk, I preferably employ a suitable retarding de vice such as an oil dash pot 21 which is connected with the inner ends of the levers 12.

The switch for controlling the solenoid 19 is shown most clearly in Fig. 5, said switch comprising a pair of spaced contacts 22 adapted to be bridged by a plug 23 which is normally raised'by a spring 24 but may be depressed by the foot whenever desired, being provided at'its upper end with a foot plate 25 for this purpose. As long as the plug 23 is held in engagement with the contact 22, the solenoid holds the levers 12 in brake-releasing position but the moment the spring 24 is permitted to raise the plug 23, the circuit through the solenoid, is broken with the result that the springs '13 act to apply thebrakes. The plug 23 is preferably mounted so thatit may be entirely removed, thereby preventing unauthorized.

persons from releasing the elevator brakes and operating the elevator.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it willbe seen that a simple and inexpensive arrangement of parts has been provided for performing the required work and particular attention is directed to the compact construction used. Attention is also invited to the fact that the lever ends 11 are held in their respective recesses 10 by the coiled springs 13 and since said recesses are of non-circular form, they prevent rotation of the movable brake-shoes 19 upon the bolt 8, which is very desirable. In fact, rotation oi said shoes would prevent the brake from functioning properly.

bince excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, they are preferably followed. It is to be understood, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

I claim: 1

1. An elevator brake comprising a brake shoe adapted to be fixedly mounted on an elevator at one side of one of its guiding tracks, a bolt extending laterally from said fixed shoe, a movable shoe slidable on said bolt for disposition at the other side of the track, a spring mounted on said bolt for :lt'orcing said movable shoe against the track, a lever for moving said spring to an inactive position, and means for operating said lever.

2. An elevator brake comprising a brake shoe adapted to be fixedly mounted on an elevator at one side of one of its guiding tracks, a bolt extending laterally fromsaid fixed shoe, a movable shoe slidable on said l ll bolt for disposition at the other side of the track, the outer side of said movable shoe having a shallow non-circular recess which opens through its inner edge, a lever at right angles to said bolt having one end fitting into said recess to prevent rotation of said movable shoe, a spring mounted on said bolt and bearing against said lever end to hold it in said recess and to force the movable shoe toward the track, and means for mounting said lever on the elevator for use to retract said spring. r

3. in elevator brake comprising a horizontally elongated frame having upper and lower horizontal plates at one end and a vertical bar extending between and secured to said plates, a vertical shaft spaced inwardly from said vertical bar and connected at its ends to said plates, a fixed brake shoe secured to said vertical bar and adapted to on one sideof one of the elevator tracks, a bolt extending laterally from said fixed shoe, a spring-messed shoe mounted on said bolt to engage the other side of the track, a spring-contracting lever supported by said shaft and having one end operatively associated with the spring of said spring-pressed shoe, and means carried by said frame for operating said lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

NIELS WASILIUS GUDMUNDSQN. 

